"Pakistan have made a fool and joke out of themselves" Shoaib Akhtar

[emclub]

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar feels that the national cricket team is making a fool out of itself in the ongoing one-day series against England in UAE.

"They have made a fool and joke out of themselves in the first two matches. And if they do not improve quickly I fear they could lose the series 4-0," said Akhtar after Pakistan suffered second straight defeat in the four-match series on Wednesday.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who led Pakistan to a stunning 3-0 whitewash against England in the Test series, has also come under fire for his captaincy not only from Akhtar but also former captain and coach Waqar Younis.

"Misbah needs to be more strict with the players. The way Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi got out today, I think Misbah needs to tell them what is expected of them as senior players.

"When Umar was batting and trying needless strokes, what was Misbah doing? He should have spoken to him. If Misbah doesn't get strict and press the red button I don't think we can win this series," Akhtar insisted.

Akhtar also felt that Misbah needed to be more aggressive as captain in the one-dayers.

"We have the best spinners in the world but they were not turning the ball even in day time. I think instead of containing roles Misbah needs to be use them to get wickets. He should be attacking more with his field placements and bowlers."

Waqar had also echoed similar views after the match, urging Misbah to be more proactive.

"He has to realise that he can't play the waiting game in one-day cricket. It worked and works in Test cricket but you can't sit around waiting for things to happen in one-day cricket. I think he needs to attack more," Waqar said.

Pakistan now trail the series 0-2 after defeats in the first two matches and Waqar said, "I also feel too many changes in the team after every match does not send out the right message."

Akhtar and Waqar also believed that the experiment of playing Umar Akmal as a wicketkeeper was a big mistake on part of the team management.

"I don't know what they are thinking. But I would always play a specialist keeper. Adnan Akmal is the best choice and he is no mug with the bat. You can try Umar in T20 cricket but in 50-over format you need a proper keeper," Waqar said.

Akhtar said that Pakistan needed to play a specialist keeper and at same time search for a stumper, who can bat as well.

"In the past we have had Moin Khan and Rashid Latif who were good keepers who could bat well. I think it is a mistake going in without a regular keeper," he said.

Both the former greats also criticised the attitude of the batsmen in the ODI series, pointing out that most of the players had been around for years and needed to shoulder responsibility.

"I don't know what was the hurry today...we were going at run a ball and the batsmen got self destructive. They need to understand someone has to carry the responsibility of playing through the innings. It was pathetic batting from our players," Akhtar said.

He also said Pakistan's inconsistency in performance stemmed from a lethargic attitude and being lazy. http://www.cricblitz.net/2012/02/pak...28CricBlitz%29

[Markhor]

Says the guy who was making a fool and joke of himself in nightclubs.

Akhtar also felt that Misbah needed to be more aggressive as captain in the one-dayers.

He's right about this though.

[ninjafirstslip]

Akhtar has a lot of experience in making himself look a tool. A big lol on waqar telling people not to be defensive. What a hyporcite. Pot kettle ...black?


*A side note he makes valid points.

[Waq]

I can just imagine Akhtar making these comments in his unique accent!

Harsh and unnecessary language from Akhtar in my opinion. Pakistan were poor in many aspects but not as bad as Akhtar is making out. Playing poorly yes but fools? Save that for the whitewash or series loss if it happens.

[Hamxa89]

Going a bit ott with the joke/fool statement but apart from that, Akhtar has hit the nail on the head.

Perfect assessment of how Misbah is rendering our spinners ineffective by his defensive field set-up. He has to be aggressive and realize why the same spinners seemed unplayable in tests but are very easy to negotiate in the ODI format.

Sadly, where Misbah's captaincy in tests has worked well, it has left a lot to be desired in the one-day format

[shahrukh619]

Lol, akhtar wants misbah to yell at umar akmal????

No need to be strict, just tell him what to do....

If you are going to be strict then you are just leaving the other player in pressure......

AkhTar and many other fans need to calm down.... You cany expect pakistan to win every game

[jy1970us]

As long as Misbah is ODI captain, Pakistan will lose more than win against better teams.

[liaqat]

what misah lack's is a match winner with the bat. he has that in umar akmal but his been utilisd very badly

and as most hve said misbah need to attack with the captaincy more,

it surprises me why waqar can't go down after comentry and speak with misbah and aaqib etc, and tell them what they think to help the team!

[Amjid Javed]

Akthars right, alot of pakistans batsmen pretty much threw their wickets away and cost the team the game.

[Square Drive]

Stop blaming Misbah, seriously, he had a strike rate of 80, and was under-pressure later on. Don't be babies, and get on with it.

[Impala_KaifTamasha]

Have to agree with Akhtar.

Misbah should have scolded the players for the soft dismissals.

[violet_may]

Him going to a club and doing whatever else he wants in his own private time, has nothing to do with his cricketing performance and in that respect, he didn't make a fool of himself. Respect the legend

Anyways, back to point: Akhtar is right and pretty much spot on. Misbah does need to be more proactive with his captaincy in ODIs. Completely agree that players just threw their wickets away, otherwise, the result would have been much different.

[KingKhanWC]

Spot on by the legend!

Bring in Akhtar as discipline coach.

[violet_may]

^
I second that. Misbah...I doubt he scolds anyone!


Look at his face---> (Nope, no way is he scolding the elderly on the team)

Now look at this face---->

[saeed-sohail]

Akhtar is so out of order blaming Umar. Asking rate was 6.5 and our best batsman had no choice but swing blindly.

[KingKhanWC]

MHK and Misbah must have both tried with the players ending up on the floor like this

Akhtar can utilise instruments to make his point if required.

[violet_may]

It's never Umar Akmal's fault...










...just like it is never Abdul Razzaq's fault as I see it

[violet_may]

That is so true. This pappi jhappi approach is turning the boys into a bunch of softies. Misbah needs to start by saying 'no!' when it comes to DRS decisions... stamp your authority, damn it!

But honestly, scolding Imran Farhat might mean getting kicked out of the team, don't do it.

As for scolding for playing that shot....

Only Akhtar could get away with it.

[Amoeba]

So Akhtar wants Misbah to demand more discipline from the batters. What irony from the man who personifield up everything bad and ill disciplined in Pakistani cricket in the last 15 years!

The only person making a joke and fool of himself is Akhtar - but he has a long history to doing so!

[youboy]

Originally Posted by shahrukh619 Lol, akhtar wants misbah to yell at umar akmal???? No need to be strict, just tell him what to do.... If you are going to be strict then you are just leaving the other player in pressure...... AkhTar and many other fans need to calm down.... You cany expect pakistan to win every game

I remember an interview of Inzimam ul Haq telling a funny incident happened with him when he was speaking about Imran Khan strictness in that interview.
said : " He got out to a wrong shot and was returning back to the pavilion he knew he will get scolded by . So he didn't want to look towards so passed by looking down to get inside the dressing room and instead of walking towards the door he went straight to the wall and banged his face".

[IM NOT YOU]

akhtar is right but he has missed one thing


-TEAM SELECTION.



if you dont water your grass, how can you expect it to grow?



we need malik, farhat, younis, rehman, GONE from the team immediately, and we need asad shafiq, azhar ali, adnan akmal, and hammad azam in the current squad for the next two ODI's.


Then and only then can you make a fair assessment.

[Watsupdoc]

was telling Umar to go for it I feel Nah but it is a valid point, what did Misbah tell Umar Akmal?

[Safar55]

Both waqar and shoaib are right in this instance... but it is all very easy when on the outside. I remember these same guys being guilty of exactly what they accused the current team of. Akhtar not being a batsman but would always get out easily as a number 11, he showed little ability and was very poor fielder himself.

Waqar was one of the most defensive minded 'strategists' we've ever had, who can forget their (moyo and waqars) masterplan in Sydney against Hussey and Siddle. And as a captain - Waqar was brainless, wasim and others have stated as much.

[saeed-sohail]

Waqar wasn't the coach in Sydney.

[Safar55]

My error. but the point still stands. maybe i remember him in commentary praising our great tactics in that game... maybe not.

[emclub]

Originally Posted by Safar55 My error. but the point still stands. maybe i remember him in commentary praising our great tactics in that game... maybe not.

i think he was (brace yourself) the fielding coach

[youboy]

Mistakes were done and the same should not be repeated. Everyone is right here you got to have an aggressive approach to win in Limited over games.
As all the experts say when a team is chasing the most important thing is to build partnerships which Pakistan misses a lot of times.

This is the list of players who have helped Pakistan chase a target under lights all these years sorted by runs scored against top teams.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/eng...s;type=batting

Are we missing some of them.

Below are the stats of players in the matches which were lost chasing in day night match

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/eng...s;type=batting


Good luck to Team Misbah for the next to ODIs and T20s.

[I Believe in the Teesra]

He is right. If Misbah can't get Umar Akmal to stop being stupid, send him to Akthar. Maybe he can get through his hard skill.

[Sledger]

What he's said is more or less right, although as mentioned, he should have slammed the team selection.

The headline of the article however, is a knee-jerk reaction, but on the plus side, at least his knees are finally working.

[Sledger]

Originally Posted by I Believe in the Teesra He is right. If Misbah can't get Umar Akmal to stop being stupid, send him to Akthar. Maybe he can get through his hard skill.

Hope he doesn't take it literally.

[saeed-sohail]

Originally Posted by youboy Mistakes were done and the same should not be repeated. Everyone is right here you got to have an aggressive approach to win in Limited over games. As all the experts say when a team is chasing the most important thing is to build partnerships which Pakistan misses a lot of times. This is the list of players who have helped Pakistan chase a target under lights all these years sorted by runs scored against top teams. http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/eng...s;type=batting Are we missing some of them. Below are the stats of players in the matches which were lost chasing in day night match http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/eng...s;type=batting Good luck to Team Misbah for the next to ODIs and T20s.

So the worst player to play for Pakistan is the second best in our history chasing under lights. He averages 15 more then any other current batsman. Three hundreds chasing under lights is a slap on the face of so called experts calling him the worst ever.

[emclub]

Originally Posted by youboy Mistakes were done and the same should not be repeated. Everyone is right here you got to have an aggressive approach to win in Limited over games. As all the experts say when a team is chasing the most important thing is to build partnerships which Pakistan misses a lot of times. This is the list of players who have helped Pakistan chase a target under lights all these years sorted by runs scored against top teams. http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/eng...s;type=batting .

look at Moin Khan's average

really underrated player

[osee_bhai]

Akhtar's comments have always been ott, nothing new.

[frenchcut]

Originally Posted by emclub look at Moin Khan's average really underrated player

Yes he was handy with the bat, but he's only got 150 runs in that sample.

Actual test/odi averages were 28.5 and 23

[saeedhk]

Well said

[musaarthali]

these kind of people called in India - " Shameless Attention Seeker "

[Asif321]

Hes Right !

[violet_may]

Originally Posted by musaarthali these kind of people called in India - " Shameless Attention Seeker "

Eat some chaat

[khurramjamil]

Sometimes Misbah does get too defensive and costs the match! point to be noted here!

[Itachi]

Originally Posted by violet_may That is so true. This pappi jhappi approach is turning the boys into a bunch of softies. Misbah needs to start by saying 'no!' when it comes to DRS decisions... stamp your authority, damn it! But honestly, scolding Imran Farhat might mean getting kicked out of the team, don't do it. As for scolding for playing that shot.... Only Akhtar could get away with it.

lol.... V_M is getting all wild up on this thread. What happened?

p.s. On topic, some people may dislike akhtar here but we indians always regard him as a legend. And what he said, purely shows his knowledge of the game. You may not like him but if you are denying of what he said, then i must say, some people are in denial....

[violet_may]

Do not speak ill of the legend, that's what caused all this :VM

[shahrukh619]

Originally Posted by violet_may ^ I second that. Misbah...I doubt he scolds anyone! Look at his face---> (Nope, no way is he scolding the elderly on the team) Now look at this face---->

He is a Niazi, they are known to be angry people...

[Afridirocks]

How can you make a fool of yourself by losing 2 games??? lol that is beyond me

[Itachi]

Originally Posted by Afridirocks How can you make a fool of yourself by losing 2 games??? lol that is beyond me

farhat's was just run out. There are countless run outs in history. Why we can pinpoint this one and call him fool?

[Rapt0rian]

The legend tells the truth

[M.A.G]

Bring Akhtar to beat the crap of everyone lol hahaha.

[Phool]

Originally Posted by emclub Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar feels that the national cricket team is making a fool out of itself in the ongoing one-day series against England in UAE. "They have made a fool and joke out of themselves in the first two matches. And if they do not improve quickly I fear they could lose the series 4-0," said Akhtar after Pakistan suffered second straight defeat in the four-match series on Wednesday. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who led Pakistan to a stunning 3-0 whitewash against England in the Test series, has also come under fire for his captaincy not only from Akhtar but also former captain and coach Waqar Younis. "Misbah needs to be more strict with the players. The way Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi got out today, I think Misbah needs to tell them what is expected of them as senior players. "When Umar was batting and trying needless strokes, what was Misbah doing? He should have spoken to him. If Misbah doesn't get strict and press the red button I don't think we can win this series.," Akhtar insisted. Akhtar also felt that Misbah needed to be more aggressive as captain in the one-dayers. "We have the best spinners in the world but they were not turning the ball even in day time. I think instead of containing roles Misbah needs to be use them to get wickets. He should be attacking more with his field placements and bowlers." Waqar had also echoed similar views after the match, urging Misbah to be more proactive. "He has to realise that he can't play the waiting game in one-day cricket. It worked and works in Test cricket but you can't sit around waiting for things to happen in one-day cricket. I think he needs to attack more," Waqar said. Pakistan now trail the series 0-2 after defeats in the first two matches and Waqar said, "I also feel too many changes in the team after every match does not send out the right message." Akhtar and Waqar also believed that the experiment of playing Umar Akmal as a wicketkeeper was a big mistake on part of the team management. "I don't know what they are thinking. But I would always play a specialist keeper. Adnan Akmal is the best choice and he is no mug with the bat. You can try Umar in T20 cricket but in 50-over format you need a proper keeper," Waqar said. Akhtar said that Pakistan needed to play a specialist keeper and at same time search for a stumper, who can bat as well. "In the past we have had Moin Khan and Rashid Latif who were good keepers who could bat well. I think it is a mistake going in without a regular keeper," he said. Both the former greats also criticised the attitude of the batsmen in the ODI series, pointing out that most of the players had been around for years and needed to shoulder responsibility. "I don't know what was the hurry today...we were going at run a ball and the batsmen got self destructive. They need to understand someone has to carry the responsibility of playing through the innings. It was pathetic batting from our players," Akhtar said. He also said Pakistan's inconsistency in performance stemmed from a lethargic attitude and being lazy. http://www.cricblitz.net/2012/02/pak...28CricBlitz%29

We cannot win this series even if Misbah presses the red button now!